Proper application of lipstick and other make-up requires a certain amount of visual input, so it is generally done in front of a mirror. In a low-light situation, additional lighting is sometimes required. Such additional lighting should be directed to the point of application.
A make-up applicator with a lighting source is an ideal solution to this problem. The prior art is replete with attempts to provide an effective solution, but apparently the attempts have been ineffective, as commercial products incorporating these concepts are simply not available.
One piece of prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,667 to Hwang (Dec. 19, 1989) teaches a lipstick cap with lamp devices, including a cap sleeve used to receive a common lipstick sleeve and a rotary switch engaged with the cap sleeve, wherein the cap sleeve is equipped with several lamp devices and a pair of conducting plates that electrically connect the lamp devices in series. The rotary switch has a battery container including an anode and a cathode conducting plate that can be selectively electrically connected with the conducting plates of the lipstick cap by rotating the rotary switch. When a battery is contained in the battery container, the lamp devices can be lighted for illuminating the make-up applicator.
Another piece of the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,972 to Nadel, teaches a wand-type applicator that comprises a light-transmissive material, with an LED mounted at a fixed end of the wand. When the LED is activated, light emitted from the LED is diffusively emitted along the length of the wand. Although such a device may provide an applicator that is visually striking to others than the user, the diffuse lateral emission of the light and the ease with which the applicator wand is soiled with the opaque makeup material being applied greatly attenuate the value of the light to the user under low-light application conditions. Further, the Nadel '972 patent is limited to wand-type applicators and has no utility with, for example, a conventional tube lipstick.
It is therefore a present object to provide an effectively lighted make-up applicator for use in low-light situations.